The signs and branding tied to Mercedes-Benz, the luxury automaker holding the Superdome’s naming rights, will be visible during the Super Bowl XLVII broadcast on CBS, including the company’s logo on top of the facility’s roof. “The title sponsor for a stadium is something we have always respected,” NFL Senior VP/Events Frank Supovitz said. “We recognize it takes corporate partners of the teams to get these buildings built.” M-B in October ’11 signed a 10-year naming-rights deal with the Saints, an agreement with a total value between $50-60M. It was the first naming-rights deal for the 38-year-old stadium. From ’06-11, the facility underwent $336M in restorations and renovations. Meanwhile, the NFL has reconditioned the Superdome’s artificial turf with additional rubber infill to make the field look better on television for Sunday’s game. Over the course of time, the latest evolution of artificial turf fields tends to “lie down” after heavy use, and in indoor stadiums can leave a sheen that tends to be distracting to the TV viewer. The new infill straightens the plastic blades so they “don’t look so shiny,” Supovitz said. CBS said it made a big difference after conducting camera and lighting tests following the turf upgrades.

BIGGER FAN ZONE: The Super Bowl Gameday Fan Plaza outside the Superdome will be 300% larger compared with the first three entertainment zones dating to the ‘10 event in Miami, said Supovitz. In New Orleans, the NFL is using Champions Square, the 120,000-square-foot festival space outside the stadium typically reserved for Saints games. For Sunday’s game, it has been rebranded for the Super Bowl with food and drink concessions, live bands, sponsor activations and photo opportunities with a large replica of the Super Bowl trophy. The plaza extends to the rooftops of two parking decks next to the stadium where the NFL installed artificial turf for football skills competitions.